Eternal
by Impossible Miracles
Summary: It's Rose's birthday and she wants to go and see her Mum back home. Begrudgingly, the Doctor takes Rose and Jackie travelling across the stars, picking up friends on the way, and solving problems as old as the universe itself. Whilst dodging deadly aliens and unmasking fake gods, the Doctor and Rose try to hide their secret relationship from Jackie. Cover made by Emilie Brown.
1. Back Home

**Chapter 1 – Back Home**

Rose opened her eyes, slowly a dark blue room with a set of drawers and a wardrobe came in to focus. She yawned and rolled over to see the Doctor asleep soundly next to her, his face youthful and untroubled for once. She smiled, the Doctor had slept beside her all night, she stroked his head before getting up and leaving the room to head towards the kitchen. She put the kettle on and made herself some toast whilst reading the morning paper. The Doctor appeared around ten minutes later, yawning and rubbing his eyes, his hair stood up in in all directions.

"Morning," he mumbled and sat down.

"I haven't slept that well since...well since before I can remember!"

He grinned and kissed Rose on the cheek as he went to pour himself a cup of tea from the kettle.

"So what's the plan for today?," he asked.

"Um...well I thought we could pay a little visit back home actually." Rose predicted his response.

"But why? Don't you have everything here? Why go home?" He looked hurt, like he was going to lose her.

"Doctor! Don't worry I don't mean permanently! Just for a visit. Trust me, the Tardis is my home now and that's never going to change." Rose stood up and embraced him, he calmed down and smiled.

"Why the visit then?"

"Well. I want to see my Mum and...well it's my birthday."

The Doctor stopped dead. He turned to face her.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't realise. You know, all this time I've known you and I never thought to ask when your birthday was. I'm sorry Rose. Happy birthday!" He looked very guilty.

"Doctor don't worry! I never told you when it was, you weren't to know! So how about it then? Just one visit?" Rose hugged him tightly and suppressed a smile, she had had an idea.

"Of course!" The Doctor beamed. "Anything for my Rose!"

They finished breakfast and went to get dressed before meeting in the console room.

"Okay set course for Earth, England, London, the Powell Estate." The Doctor's voice rang out as he controlled the Tardis, flying her with speed and precision. Rose sat on the railings and watched from her usual position. They landed with a dignified thump.

"Best landing yet!," Rose giggled as she disappeared in to the Tardis to find a jacket and he shot her a sarcastic look before grabbing his coat.

The Doctor slowly opened the Tardis doors to reveal the Powell Estate, same as ever. Grey walls covered in graffiti and overflowing bins. He glanced upwards and swallowed hard, he could see the door, the door of the flat he had set foot in a few times before, the Tyler's flat. He shuddered and rubbed his cheek, trying to suppress that painful memory. He was quickly interrupted by Rose bounding down the stairs and out of the Tardis doors, dragging him by the hand.

"C'mon Doctor! Look, I know you don't want to go in but it is my birthday and she is my mum!"

The Doctor sighed in response as he was dragged through the square from the parked Tardis and up the first flight of dingy stairs towards the flat. He stopped half way along the long darkened hallway.

"Do I have to go in Rose? Can I not just wait out here, you go in and see her, collect your presents and we can go?"

"No Doctor! She's my mother and I haven't seen her in ages, we can't just leave now. I have to be there for my own birthday and wherever I go, you go!"

The Doctor nodded and gave in with a sigh and a faint smile. He loved it that she was so determined they be together all the time. They had hardly left each other's side this past few weeks in the Tardis and well...he liked it. He saw the flat door along the hallway and gulped.

"But she slapped me! Hard! Remember! You can't blame me for wanting to avoid the temper of that woman!"

Rose giggled at the memory and the Doctor rubbed his cheek.

"It hurt!," he whined.

Rose turned to face him. She took his head in her hands and kissed him deeply. It only lasted a few second but it felt like forever. She finally pulled away and turned, walking down the corridor. The Doctor stood motionless, spellbound. Rose turned back about ten paces away.

"There's more of where that came from, tonight, if you come in with me. It is my birthday after all!," she added with a wink.

He grinned and ran down the corridor after her. They stopped outside the door of the Tyler's flat and knocked, the Doctor searched for Rose's hand and held it tight, she grinned back at him.

"Rose!" Jackie Tyler appeared in the doorway moments later, as loud and as boisterous as ever.

"Rose, oh my darling, you've come back to me!"

Jackie took her daughter in her arms and hugged her as if she were about to disappear from the very air in front of her. She gave the Doctor a cold momentary glance over her shoulder, she never had really forgiven him for taking her Rose away.

"Happy birthday my darling!"

"Thanks Mum!," Rose replied gleefully.

She followed Jackie in to the flat, signalling for the Doctor to follow. He did, but cautiously.

"Tea?" Jackie called from the small kitchen.

"Yes thanks," Rose called back, having already made herself comfy on the sofa and switched on the TV.

The Doctor remained standing by the mantelpiece, shifting from one foot to the other nervously. Jackie stuck her head out from behind the kitchen door.

"And you?," she glared over at the Doctor, he seemed to physically pale under he gaze.

"No thank you," he replied, carefully pronouncing each syllable as if it were his last. As Jackie retreated back to the kitchen, the Doctor sighed nervously. Rose motioned with her head for him to sit down, he returned a worried glance but was met with one of Rose's determined no-nonsense glares. It was an order not a request. He sat down. He allowed himself a small smile, he loved it when she took control. The Doctor tried to cuddle up to Rose on the sofa, he wiggled right up next to her and tried to kiss her neck. He was again met by her steely gaze. She shook her head.

"Not here...maybe later," she added just as Jackie came in to the room with mugs of tea and plates of biscuits. The Doctor and Rose shot to opposite ends of the sofa and tried not to look guilty. Jackie hadn't seemed to have noticed.

"Well it is my little girl's special day so here's your present from me." Jackie motioned to an impeccably wrapped box in bright pink paper on the table.

"This one's from Auntie Jean and this card's from John."

Rose eagerly went to open her presents, leaving strips of pink paper in her wake.

"Aw thanks Mum!," she squealed as she pulled out a new jacket.

"It's perfect."

She immediately pulled Jackie in to a tight hug.

"The card. Which John is it from?"

"I'm not sure really. It came in the post. I could be cousin John or John from the market."

Rose continued to open her presents as the Doctor observed her quietly, he hadn't said much since they had arrived, he just watched and was silent as she laughed happily when she opened the box form Auntie Jean to reveal a rather hideous scarf and gloves set. He couldn't remember the last time he had interacted with someone like that, when he had felt that love, wrapped around like a blanket, the feeling you get when surrounded by family. Jackie and Rose hadn't seen each other in months but they were perfectly in tune to each other's actions and feelings. Thinking about it, he couldn't remember the last time someone has given him a present. It felt perfectly, ordinarily human.

Rose put her presents down and turned to her Mum. She paused and glanced over at the Doctor, she had that same scarily brilliant, defiant sparkle in her eye which he had seen on the Tardis this morning. He swallowed hard.

"Actually Mum, seen as it is my birthday, I've got an idea."

Jackie drank her tea slowly.

"Yes dear?"

"Come with us in the Tardis."

The Doctor nearly choked on his custard cream. He paled instantly.

"Erm...Rose? Can I have a word outside please?"

He positively dragged her out in to the hallway of the flat.

"What the hell are you thinking! I don't want her in the Tardis!

Rose fought back.

"Doctor listen! It's my birthday and this will be my present from you! I only want her to come one one trip, just for the experience and then we can drop her back here! Trust me, only one trip."

"You had this idea this morning didn't you!," the Doctor said accusingly.

Rose looked decidedly guilty.

"No! You want you Mum to come with us? I'm not having it!"

Rose flashed him an angry look.

"I'm asking you one favour Doctor! I haven't seen her in ages, we can't just jet off and never come back again! Please! For me?"

"But..." The Doctor lowered his voice.

"What about when we want to you know...be alone together?," he asked quietly.

"Don't worry, the Tardis is huge, she'll get lost. Just stick her in front of any daytime TV and she'll be fine!," Rise reassured him. "But she doesn't know about...us yet and I want to keep it that way okay? So be subtle."

He looked decidedly uneasy and frowned.

"Okay fine, I can do subtle. But there better be something in it for me afterwards if I have to put up with your mother for a few days!"

Rose winked at him.

"Don't worry. There will be."

He grinned, already convinced. They returned to the living room. He cleared his throat.

"Okay Jackie! Would you like to accompany us in the Tardis across the stars? Everywhere and anywhere?"

Jackie stood up and called on the way back form taking the dishes to the kitchen.

"Okay fine. Yes. But if it rains on Mars I'm gonna kill you!"

The Doctor gulped loudly and Rose giggled in the corner.

Once Jackie had packed a bag and called some friends to et them know she was going on holiday for a while, they shit the door to the flat and looked out at the Tardis parked where they had left it, in the corner by the bins. Jackie dropped her bag by the Doctor's feet and walked away, arm in arm with Rose.

"Carry that will you!," she called back.

The Doctor picked it up and slung the heavy weight across his shoulder. He sighed.

He was not looking forward to this.


	2. Cardiff

**Chapter 2 – Cardiff**

The Doctor and the two Tylers stood together in front of those huge, blue Tardis doors. The Doctor clicked his fingers once, the sharp sound cut through the air and the two huge doors swung inward effortlessly. The Doctor smirked but Jackie sighed, unimpressed. The smirk quickly dissolved. Jackie walked straight in through the doors as if she had lived there all her life, she showed no signs of amazement which irritated the Doctor, he loved showing off. Left on the doorstep with Jackie's bags, Rose looked at the Doctor apologetically and ran in to the console room after her mum to stop her pressing any button and accidentally taking off the Tardis handbrake, the Doctor followed bags in tow.

"Right Jackie. Welcome to the Tardis. Now as you can see it is a very complex and delicate machine which requires expert hands."

Rose let out a small laugh, the way he landed the Tardis, it was no where near delicate. But he was certainly right about his expert hands...The Doctor frowned at her and made a face.

He looked back over at Jackie and continued.

"And as there is no other technology quite like it in the universe, please, please don't touch anything!"

Jackie just ignored him, she usually did that.

"Rose can you show me where my room is?"

"Of course Mum," Rose called back, as they left the console room and climbed the stairs she glanced at the Doctor, another apologetic look, she mouthed 'sorry'.

Once Rose had settled Jackie down in the TV room with a mug of tea and Midsomer Murders, she returned to the console room to find not the Doctor but a large hole in the console room flooring with the Doctor in it, he had the grating up and was yet again just aimlessly fiddling with pipes and levers to no avail.

"Look I'm really sorry about her Doctor, I didn't realise she would be this much of a handful. It's too late to take her home now I guess, we are already in the vortex."

"This is a time machine Rose, it's never too late," he mumbled in response.

He sighed and stopped what ever he was doing.

"I'm sorry. That came out wrong." He looked up at her.

"It's not having her here that's the problem, it's not getting to see you as much. It's just after all we've been through to find each other, to get back together. I mean from that moment I just never ever wanted to be apart from you, ever."

"Oh Doctor. I know, I feel the same. Don't worry, once we find a planet to visit tomorrow, we can just let her go off and do some shopping or something and then we have the whole day together. Just us."

He grinned and took her waist to help her down in to the hole in the console room floor. Their bodies were now pressed together, he rested his forehead on hers.

"I love you," he whispered.

She murmured in response through their kiss.

"So we aren't going to tell her then? About us I mean?" the Doctor asked.

"No. It's not the right time, I don't want to disappoint her, you know," Rose replied.

"I would disappoint her?" The Doctor felt scathed.

"Well she's just not really ready for the shock of it is what I meant. You know the whole different species, 900 years old, can never die thing." "Don't worry, whatever she says when I tell her, I will always stay with you, nothing can ever separate us again, not even the void."

The Doctor laughed softly.

"That's it! That's my Rose, scarily, dangerously determined. Just how I like it."

Just at that moment, they heard Jackie call from the top of the stairs.

"Rose? How do you work the TV remote?"

They froze, like rabbits in the headlights. Instantly they scrambled out of the hole and shot to other sides of the room, each coming out from behind the main console from opposite sides trying not to look guilty.

Jackie stopped when she saw them, she paused and looked at both of them searchingly, she knew something was up. Rose quickly ran up the stairs two at a time to meet her.

"The volume is this one Mum."

Rose steered Jackie away and back to the TV room. She hid her smirk, that was too close.

Then next day dawned and Rose and the Doctor were both up early, they had been forced to sleep in separate rooms in order to keep up the act, Rose's bed was cold and unfriendly, so was the Doctor's. They both tiptoed in to the kitchen fully dressed for the day and whispered in order to not wake Jackie, it was around half five in the morning.

"Morning Rose," the Doctor hugged her warmly, he had missed her so much during the night.

Again, they shot to either end of the kitchen just as Jackie rounded the corner in to the room. They spoke very loudly all of a sudden and tried their best not to look guilty.

"Tea Mum?" Rose asked smiling sweetly.

"Yes please."

Rose put the kettle on to boil.

The Doctor gathered his courage.

"Okay so I thought we would go somewhere new today. We'll go north and visit a planet just beyond the Crab Nebula, it's called Eternal. The geology is exquisite, along with a remarkable terrain consisting of caves and deep underground pools. It also boasts an impressive city with tall spires and excellent markets. It's quite wonderful really."

The Doctor carried on for another ten minutes, with neither Tyler really listening. Jackie remained looking unimpressed. The Doctor sensed this and swallowed loudly.

"Okay well lets have some breakfast and then we'll meet in the main console room in around half an hour." With that he left the kitchen, he didn't feel much like eating anyway.

When Rose and Jackie found the Doctor in the console room later, they found him constantly circling the console, glasses on, looking confused. He ran his hands through his hair another time and looked up at the two waiting Tylers.

"Okay we are going to have to make a slight detour, due to the length of the journey, we are going to need to top up the Tardis's fuel reserves before we leave as we are going so far North. It's perfectly fine it just means we are going to have to stop off in Cardiff for about four hours to absorb some rift energy."

Rose smiled weakly. Jackie simply sighed sarcastically.

"What are we meant to do in Cardiff for four hours? God I thought this was meant to be a bloody time machine. The cheek!..." Jackie carried on much like this until they reached Cardiff.

The Doctor bounced across the floor to open the doors on to drizzly Cardiff Bay.

"Okay so we meet back here in four hours for our big adventure!" He tried his best to sound enthusiastic.

Jackie just rolled her eyes and swanned off in some direction across the bay towards the shops.

The Doctor sighed and shut the Tardis doors.

"I leave her locked. She'll be ready for us soon."

Rose smiled playfully. "Just us then, what will we do to fill the time?"

The Doctor laughed and they walked arm in arm across the bay, the Doctor's coat flapping in the cold, biting wind.

They decided to buy chips in the fish and chip shop they liked to frequent when back on Earth, they placed the same orders and sat in the same place to look out across the bay.

They had sat on those same hard plastic chairs for around half an hour, just eating and chatting when the door of the chip shop opened again, up until now they had been the only customers, they usually were. Rose looked up and nearly choked on a chip, the Doctor looked up open mouthed. Standing at the counter ordering some chips was none other than Mickey Smith.

"Mickey?," Rose said joyfully.

Mickey span around instantly, he would recognise that voice anywhere.

"Rose!"

They hugged each other tightly in the middle of the chip shop.

"I can't believe you here! How are you? It's been so long!" Rose asked too many questions all at once.

The Doctor was instantly up and by her side.

"If it isn't Mickey Mouse! How are you? How come you're here?"

Mickey grinned at the pair of them, he knew they liked each other, I mean that much was obvious a long time ago, but the way they stood together now, the way his hand hung just beside hers ready to hold it tightly. Now he couldn't just see it, they radiated it.

Mickey spoke up.

"Oh we came to Cardiff about two years ago, we live here now."

Rose raised an eyebrow.

"We?"

Mickey smiled and led her by the hand out of the shop, the Doctor followed. Their chips lay abandoned. Just along the bay, about ten paces away from the shop front, sat on a bench was Martha Jones. She spotted the Doctor and stood up amazed. The Doctor ran straight towards her.

"Martha Jones! My Martha Jones!" He couldn't believe it. Immediately they hugged each other. Rose and Mickey stood just beside them awkwardly, both couldn't help but feel a tiny pang of jealousy.

"Doctor? What are you doing here? It's so good to see you."

Martha spotted Rose standing behind him, she instantly retreated slightly from the Doctor's arms.

"Rose! So good to see you."

Rose smiled and hugged Martha tightly.

They all stood back, Mickey stood and Martha's side and the Doctor and Rose's. They all paused and looked at each other, remembering the time when they stood the other way around. Rose cleared her throat.

"So you guys live in Cardiff now?," she asked.

"Yeah. We moved up here when Martha got deployed as an army doctor at the UNIT base near here. I came with her, I work for Torchwood now." Mickey smiled.

Rose paused and her eyes widened slowly. The Doctor remained oblivious. Rose let out a small squeal and hugged Mickey.

"You two! You two! You're together aren't you! I knew it!"

The Doctor's jaw dropped.

Martha giggled and Mickey just scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Well I never thought I would see it. Martha Jones and Mick-ety Mick Mickey. The Doctor smiled and congratulated them both.

Martha smirked. "Well everyone knows about you two, the stuff of legend that's for sure!"

Martha indicated to the Doctor clutching Rose's hand as he usually did. He went very red and looked at his shoes, Rose beamed.

Rose indicated. "Well not exactly everyone," she said just as Jackie came around the corner. Jackie saw them all standing together and ran up to them open mouthed. She ran straight up to hug Mickey. Rose and the Doctor's hands immediately dropped and Rose sent a pleading look to Martha and Mickey, they got the message.

"Mickey!," Jackie squealed. She moved on to hug Martha as well.

"Why are you here?"

"Why are you here?," Mickey asked back laughing with the disbelief of it all.

"Oh we are going to some distant planet of something or other for Rose's birthday surprise but had to stop off here because mister smarty-pants over there can't drive!"

"Erm... actually we ran low on fuel and so are here absorbing rift energy until we can set off soon." He shot an annoyed look at Jackie.

"How far are you going?," Martha asked. "Far North I'm guessing, with needing to absorb a lot of fuel."

"Yeah, the planet Eternal," the Doctor replied.

"Rose's birthday? Sounds like a party in the Tardis!," Mickey looked hopeful, he looked over at Rose.

"Erm. Yeah well it's gonna be a laugh so...um Doctor? Can Martha and Mickey come too?"

The Doctor sighed inaudibly, him and Rose were never going to have the Tardis to themselves again!

"Okay, yes fine! We've got the room."

Everyone but Jackie laughed.

"Come on then, back to the Tardis, we should be about an hour away from take off by now."

The Doctor led the way and was swiftly followed by Rose, Mickey and Martha behind her and Jackie trailing at the back. Once they had walked back across the bay and reached the Tardis, the Doctor unlocked it and let them all in, one at a time. Martha looked very happy to be back on board the Tardis. The Doctor stood at the door and sighed, once again he had a Tardis-full. He was never alone any more now that he had Rose, he was no longer alone. Maybe they were right, he did have the biggest family in the universe.


	3. The Eternal Night

**Chapter 3 – The Eternal Night**

"Hold on!"

The Doctor ran franticly around the Tardis console, holding down that lever and pushing that button, whilst constantly glancing back at the screen, it was no use. The Tardis was jostling back and forth within the vortex, she couldn't get sufficient coordinates for the Planet Eternal and so the navigation systems couldn't lock on their current position and anchor their descent, in other words it was going to be a bit of an unorthodox landing. Martha tried her best to help the Doctor, holding down levers for him on the main console, Rose stood back and held on to the railings, she couldn't help but feel incredibly jealous. It had started out as a small, worried feeling which had now grown in to an unquenchable fire raging in the pit of her stomach. Jackie glared at the Doctor with disdain from the seat in the console room, Mickey hugged one of the sandy coloured pillars for dear life, he hated landings. They had only just managed to take off from Cardiff Bay when upon entering the vortex, the Tardis had immediately started to complain, Rose couldn't shake off the feeling she was trying to tell them something, make some kind of point, and she could tell the Doctor could sense it too.

"Okay we are nearing the planet's atmosphere, I'm afraid the journey is going to get worse. Hold on tight!"

The Doctor glanced over at Rose, he winked at her and grinned. She knew he loved all this, the landing, the adventure, impressing everyone in the Tardis with his knowledge and skill. She smiled back but the fire in her stomach didn't cease.

The Tardis began to shake violently, the Doctor coaxed her along with many words of comfort, he had complete trust in her to land them, relatively safely. Eventually they cleared the planet's atmosphere and nearing the inevitable landing, they all held on tightly.

"That's it old girl! Well done!"

The Doctor was immediately on his feet tending to the Tardis, stabilising her and parking her up, he was then straight to Rose's side, helping her up.

"Everyone okay?," the Doctor called across the console room.

"Rose?"

"Yep I'm fine," she replied.

"Martha?"

"Yep fine too."

"Jackie?"

"Yes I'm fine but you're bloody lucky that I am! You're landing a box not a freight train!"

The Doctor swallowed loudly and looked at Rose who just sniggered.

"And Mickey?"

An inaudible squeak emanated from below the console room floor where Mickey had been plummeted during the landing. Martha went to help him up.

"Okay! We're ready to go! Now a few new planet safety rules: number one, no running off! Number two, if you do get lost just wait by the Tardis and we'll come and find you. Number three...no wait, there is no number three. Okay onwards!"

The Doctor grinned cheekily at Rose.

They all gathered at the doors and the moment came...and passed. The doors wouldn't open! The Doctor tried banging them and sonicing them but to no avail, eventually he went back up to the console.

"Why have you locked us in old girl? What's out there?," he mumbled as he studied the screen, Rose by his side. He closed his eyes and listened to her, immediately her consciousness touched his, she whispered.

'Not yet, my little thief. For now the danger is too great."

Jackie shrieked and Mickey paled instantly and dropped to the floor, the three seasoned time travellers simply opened their eyes, the Doctor smirked, they had all heard the Tardis's complex consciousness in their heads and those who weren't used to it were feeling the effects.

"What the bloody hell was that!," Jackie shouted.

The Doctor grinned nonchalantly.

"Just the Tardis, nothing to worry about."

"It talks! You never said it talks!" Jackie was positively fuming.

"She's a sentient being, she has a mind a thoughts just like everyone else. She's telepathic though so I'd um...watch what you think if I were you." The Doctor tried to hide his giggle and winked at Rose and Martha.

Jackie turned on her heel and stormed away in to the Tardis, Mickey followed closely behind her.

"Well that got rid of them." The Doctor beamed.

"Nice one, Doctor! Still got the sense of humour I see," Martha laughed.

"Always," the Doctor replied.

"You've upset her though," said Rose. "Trust me you won't hear the end of that, no one upsets my Mum."

The Doctor gave Rose a cheeky look but tried to hide the feeling of terror he had bubbling away inside him.

"Now why can't we go out, girl?" The Doctor leaned in to the screen, glasses on.

"Well...looks like the air is unbreathable, for humans anyway." He looked over at Rose and Martha, then back to the screen. "It seems that the ground releases some kind of chemical creating deadly fumes, but only at night. Yep we definitely can't go out now, the atmosphere is like a toxic soup. What do you think?"

Both Martha and Rose leaned in, jostling each other to get a better view. The Doctor swallowed loudly.

"Yep, seems that way Doctor. Looks like we're gonna have to wait this one out, should be clear by morning, the Tardis definitely shows readings of humanoid type life so they must survive during the day. Looks like we're spending all night in the Tardis then!"

"How do you know that?," Rose asked confused. The Doctor frowned.

"Oh we were trained to be able to use and identify alien technology at Torchwood, pretty standard stuff really," Martha replied, still looking at the screen.

The Doctor looked unimpressed. Rose sighed, she remembered that her Mum was still on board and her heart sank, tonight was going to be difficult to say the least.

Once Martha had managed to coax Mickey out from hiding in their room after the incident with the Tardis consciousness, he had offered to cook dinner for everyone, he'd been working on his culinary skills apparently. Whilst Martha and Mickey were busy in the kitchen cooking, among other things, Rose managed to find some alone time with the Doctor.

"Are we not going to tell her Rose?"

The Doctor looked right in to her eyes as he held her close beneath the vaulted ceiling of the grand Tardis library.

"I just...I don't know how to Doctor. I don't think it's the right time."

"Okay. If you feel its right," the Doctor smiled in response, she grinned back.

The Doctor moved in closer and pressed his lips against her forehead.

He whispered. "I love you."

They moved to sit on the sofa and remained there together, just holding each other. Rose smiled warmly, she had never felt this comfort, this strange and wonderful man had captured her completely. She realised in that moment that he was everything she needed and could ever need, they would be together always. The Doctor lay with his legs hanging off the end of the sofa, he had Rose on his lap, he held her as if he could never let her go. She ran her hands through his hair absent-mindedly, playing with every strand, usually he never let anyone touch his hair but she was, well always had been, the exception. The time passed wonderfully slowly as they enjoyed each others company, what they had failed to notice was the door close gently and Jackie disappear down the corridor.

Martha appeared in the doorway moments later, Rose and the Doctor slowly and regrettably moved apart when she appeared.

"Dinners ready," Martha said with a grin. "I'll leave you two to finish up here..."

"No we weren't...ya know," the Doctor said guiltily.

Martha just laughed and shut the door behind her.

Rose went very red and got up off the sofa, she struggled to flatten down her hair which had got a little unruly during the heated moments they had had on the sofa. The Doctor cleared his throat and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Rose?"

"Mmm?"

"Why don't we finish up here?" He grinned cheekily as she turned around.

She laughed. "You! Cheeky! Oh all right then!"

The Doctor and Rose eventually turned up to dinner half an hour late looking rather dishevelled, Martha just smirked when she saw the Doctor.

"What?," he growled.

She just pointed at his face and Mickey chuckled inaudibly from the corridor, the Doctor shot him an annoyed look.

"Your dinners in the oven," Martha added and then left.

Rose found the Doctor looking in the reflective oven door and wiping the lipstick off his face furiously when she entered the kitchen, not looking too smart herself. They ate dinner and together and then went to the living room where they found Jackie and Mickey watching TV, they had tried to resist the urge to hold hands on the way down the corridor. This separation from Rose was proving hard for the Doctor, he loved Rose so much and wanted to always be near her. If they were alone...well lets just say they would have spent a lot of time together day and night. They took their places on the sofa opposite each other, the Doctor thought he would break the tension.

"Well it seem the planet's toxic atmosphere will have cleared up by first light tomorrow, by the Tardis calculations. So we can go out early tomorrow and discover this new world. Exciting hey!"

His injections of enthusiasm was met only by a grunt from Jackie and a smirk from Rose. Oh I give up, he thought.

"Well I'm off to bed. Early start tomorrow and all that!" He ignored Jackie's questioning about the fact that he never slept as he left the room, he was finding this way too difficult. He needed to be alone with Rose again, what happened earlier wasn't enough. He formulated the plan and headed straight for the back rooms in the Tardis, he opened the dusty doors with a loud creak. He was sure it was in here. He cleared old bookshelves and opened in every drawer until he found it, the old book he knew he owned. The tatty pages curled at the edges, the distinctive gallifreyan on the front cover swirled across the back and the spine. He opened it carefully, mindful of its age, and flicked to the page he knew very well. He often came to this room to refresh his memory of this fact, he needed it sometimes, especially when Rose had been stuck in that parallel universe, he physically shuddered at the horrible memory. There it was, the page he needed. An old Gallifreyan soothsayer had written this text, it aimed to educate people in the subtle arts of the Gallifreyans, they were a complex people and with training and concentration, they could command a power akin to a kind of magic. The books instructed one in ways to hone these talents and practice the words needed for such an action. The Doctor read and re-read the extremely familiar lines of old high gallifreyan script, he knew that he could recite them instantly but he wanted to check one last time, just to make sure. He closed the book and stood up straight smoothing down his blazer and tie. He ran a hand through his hair and steeled himself, it was time. He headed straight for Rose's room and knocked hurriedly, she opened it a crack and then sighed with relief.

"It's you. I thought you weren't coming for a minute. Come in."

They immediately started getting undressed, she frantically kissed him and pushed him down on to the bed. They tried their best to be quiet so Jackie wouldn't hear them, the Doctor greatly hoped the Tardis would help with sound-proofing the walls, he could do without Jackie bursting in on them, but all was quiet outside.

They lay side by side, Rose slept soundly but the Doctor just stared at the ceiling, that had been amazing but he certainly wasn't tired. Slowly he leaned over to Rose and lay his forehead on hers, he felt her soft breathing and knew it was time. He face her and murmured in a low voice the old familiar gallifreyan, the words rolled off his tongue with ease as if he had said this to many. The truth was he had chosen her, he had never repeated these words to another being in all his long years of existence. He had been waiting to use those words for so many years, he had just declared his love for Rose in the language of the old high Gallifreyans, this created a bond which could not be broken. She was now truly seared on to his hearts and he fell asleep content.

The next morning Rose awoke to the unusual occurrence of finding the Doctor asleep next to her, she stroked his hair as he woke up.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear gently. "I love you too."

He grinned broadly, she knew and she loved him as much as he loved her, they lay together for another hour, just taking each other in once again.


End file.
